From electric to gas and back to electric
as standalone power producers or they can be recycled. While they are somewhat smaller than today’s average family car, the PEVs perform like normal cars, except more quietly. The Volt can do 0 to 60 mph in 8.53 seconds, while the Leaf does it in 7 seconds. They both can reach 100 mph. Tesla Motors of California has a $100,000 2-door Roadster that goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds, and a $60,000 4-door that
Why have we not had plug-in electric cars before now? Actually, we did. An electric car preceded the Ford Motel T by about 70 years. When the 1908 Model T came out, there were some 6,000 electric cars already in motion in the U.S. But Ford’s newly introduced gasoline-powered car was far less expensive to make and buy, so that by 1920 it had taken over the market. We saw renewed interest in electric cars in the 1960s “Once people start seeing public and 1970s when new and stricter safety and emissions charging stations, they will begin standards ushered in cleaner, losing their range anxiety.” more fuel-efficient vehicles. Jeff Barghout, Advanced In the 1990s, as “hybrid” vehicles were introduced (powered by gasoline while charging an electric battery pack), does it in 5.6 seconds and is available all-electric vehicles still cost about with a battery pack that can take it 300 $200,000 to buy. Now, with nearly uni- miles before a charge. versal support from American indusThe vehicles have navigation systry, government and consumers, the tems that calculate your travel range PEV has entered the mainstream. and are capable of locating the nearest charging station. Their cabin designs What’s it like to are more rigid than standard vehicles, run an electric car? mainly to protect the battery packs. Today’s PEVs use electricity at the equivalent of 50 to 75 cents per gallon What about of gasoline for conventional vehicles. the electricity? And that cost is expected to decline While PEVs can be plugged into your as battery prices do. The batteries are household power via a standard outlet, rechargeable lithium ion, the same charging time could be 10 hours. More technology that powers laptop comconvenient is the industry-standard puters and cell phones. And even after “Level 2” charging stations available 10 years of vehicle use, they can serve from car dealers. They are 240-volt chargers that can be placed in a garage or outdoors and will fully charge a PEV in two to four hours. While most charging will take place at home, public charging stations also are popping up in major markets. At a recent national Plug-In 2011 conference held in Raleigh, GE Energy
Industrial Solutions announced the impending installation of 10 stations in Raleigh, Cary and Mebane (location of the manufacturing plant). Others are in Asheville and Charlotte. These eventually will be located at work places, parking decks, shopping malls and on street corners. “Once people start seeing public charging stations,” Barghout said, “they will begin losing their range anxiety.” Auto dealers typically guide buyers on all aspects of driving and charging these vehicles. Today’s vehicles draw about 700 watts of electricity to charge. Electric co-ops and other utilities already Energy are gearing up for the extra load that PEVs will require. “Each PEV is like putting another house on the grid,” Barghout said. He mentioned a study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory that estimated if all PEVs are charged during peak-demand hours, the nation will need to build lots of new power plants. But if the plug-in charging time is “controlled” for off-peak hours (late night, for example), the need for new generation facilities will be next to none. Some control methods include timers at the charging station, lower rates for consumers who charge during off-peak hours, and various “smart grid” controls.
Is there an electric vehicle in your future? If you are interested in buying one of these vehicles, your electric cooperative needs to know. Your cooperative can help you determine if the existing wiring and transformers that serve your home or business are capable of handling the extra power requirements your battery charging will demand.
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For more information
A “Level 2” GE charging station installed at the new Whole Foods store parking lot in North Raleigh.
Advanced Energy Raleigh (919) 857-9000 www.advancedenergy.org/transportation
Electric Drive Transportation Association Washington, D.C. (202) 408-0774 www.electricdrive.org
FREEDM Systems Center (Electric Drive) N.C. State University www.freedm.ncsu.edu
Plug-In America San Francisco (415) 323-3329 www.pluginamerica.org Carolina Country SEPTEMBER 2011 17